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Pakistan ranks fifth nation affected with TB

BANGKOK: Pakistan ranks as fifth nation severely affected by Tuberculosis and efforts are under way to contain this deadly disease.

This was stated by Health Director General Major General Ahsan Ahmed Retd while attending international preparatory conference on TB here.

He called upon the world community to supplement government efforts in overcoming the dragon of the disease. He asked world health bodies to provide technical and financial assistance to root out this fatal disease.

Health DG said Pakistan need support to root out this meance from the country.

He told the conference that the government adopted various measures to combat TB which re-emerge in the world and rapidly increasing in Pakistan.

He maintained that the situation is alarming as 45 percent of the total TB patient are Pakistani in the Eastern Mediterrian region (Embro) which need exhaustive efforts to block this disease.

In his presentation to the health experts gathered from different countries in Bangkok, he said Pakistan taken different steps to control the TB.

He said the TB control programme which started in 1965 faced lot of difficulties because of limited financial and technical support from international health bodies.

He maintained that thousand health workers, doctors of primary health care programme were playing meaningful role to combat this disease. However, he said Pakistan requires full support, including financial and technical, to control this disease which rapidly making its way in the Pakistan.

He said two million people are suffering from this deadly disease in Pakistan. He said 350,000 new patients are adding annually which is startling.

About Tuberculosis startegy, he told the foreign delegates that Pakistan has adopted special anti-TB drive known as Dots (directly observed treatment short course therapy). He said the World Health Organisation (WHO is providing technical support in this regard.

Most of the recommendation of this panel are being included in the draft resolution prepared to be adopted at the ministerial conference to be held at Amsterdam from March 22 to 24.

In this conference Pakistani delegation will be led by Federal Health Minister Abdul Malik Kasi. In this conference Hilary Clinton, Desmond Tutu, (south Africas), noble prize holder, and Nelson Mendala will also participate. APP